DisrupTV
DisrupTV
DisrupTV is a weekly podcast with hosts R "Ray" Wang and Vala Afshar. The show airs live at 11:00 a.m. PT/ 2:00 p.m. ET every Friday. The audience can expect A-list guests, the latest enterprise news, hot startups, insight from influencers, and much more. Tweet questions to #DisrupTV or @DisrupTVShow.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 21, 2025 • 53min
How will tariffs impact IT spending? | Crawford Del Prete & Gurvinder Sahni
This week on DisrupTV, we interviewed Crawford Del Prete, President of IDC and Gurvinder Sahni, Chief Marketing Officer at Persistent Systems.
We focused on AI's impact on enterprise transformation and leadership. Crawford predicted 8-13% IT spending growth for 2025, driven by 18% server and storage growth and 20% infrastructure as a service. Gurvinder highlighted Persistent's 19.9% revenue increase and the importance of AI in marketing, noting a 12.2% increase in cybersecurity spending. They also discussed the challenges of AI adoption, the role of AI in job markets, and the potential for AI to drive exponential efficiency. The conversation concluded with reflections on the NVIDIA GTC show and the future of AI in business.
DisrupTV is a weekly podcast with hosts R "Ray" Wang and Vala Afshar. The show airs live at 11:00 a.m. PT/ 2:00 p.m. ET every Friday. Brought to you by Constellation Executive Network: constellationr.com/CEN.

Mar 14, 2025 • 60min
How to be an effective leader | Lev Gonick, Ellen McCarthy, David Bray, Sabina Nawaz
This week on DisrupTV, we interviewed Lev Gonick CIO of Arizona State University, Ellen McCarthy, CEO and Founder of Trust in Media Cooperative (TIM), Dr. David Bray, Distinguished Fellow - Stimson Center and Business Executives for National Security and Sabina Nawaz, author of You're the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need).
Lev discussed ASU's innovative educational strategies, including its top rankings in innovation, sustainability, and AI initiatives. Ellen emphasized the importance of critical thinking, data blending, and diversity in leadership. David highlighted the simultaneous revolutions in AI, quantum, and commercial space, stressing the need for community-led solutions. Sabina Nawaz shared insights on effective management, advocating for micro-habits and communication practices to enhance leadership. The episode underscored the importance of adapting to technological changes and fostering a growth mindset.
DisrupTV is a weekly podcast with hosts R "Ray" Wang and Vala Afshar. The show airs live at 11:00 a.m. PT/ 2:00 p.m. ET every Friday. Brought to you by Constellation Executive Network: constellationr.com/CEN.

Feb 21, 2025 • 39min
12 Tools for Managing a Selfish Leader | Josefine Campbell
This week on DisrupTV, we interviewed Josefine Campbell, author of 12 Tools for Managing a Selfish Leader: Unlock Authenticity for Resilience.
Josefine discussed the traits of selfish leaders, emphasizing their focus on personal interests and lack of empathy. She draws parallels between managing such leaders and martial arts, highlighting core values like self-awareness and situational awareness. Campbell introduced the "power barometer," a technique for managing personal energy levels at work. She advises employees to be self-aware, seek supportive environments, and align with companies that share their values. Campbell also stressed the importance of honesty and transparency in organizational culture, using IKEA as an example.
DisrupTV is a weekly podcast with hosts R "Ray" Wang and Vala Afshar. The show airs live at 11:00 a.m. PT/ 2:00 p.m. ET every Friday. Brought to you by Constellation Executive Network: constellationr.com/CEN.

Feb 7, 2025 • 1h 2min
Is Agentic AI An Existential Threat To SaaS? | Jennifer Moss & Ron Miller
This week on DisrupTV, we interviewed Jennifer Moss, author of Why Are We Here?: Creating a Work Culture Everyone Wants and Ron Miller, Operating Partner and Head of Editorial at boldstart ventures.
Jennifer emphasized the importance of purpose and well-being in the workplace, highlighting the burnout crisis and the need for a reset. She outlines her book's structure, focusing on psychological barriers, business challenges, and the necessity of belonging and recognition. She also discussed the existential crisis and the role of AI, noting the fear of becoming obsolete and the need for hope and effective communication. Ron discussed the integration of AI in enterprise, the challenges of managing AI agents, and the importance of security and governance in AI adoption.
DisrupTV is a weekly podcast with hosts R "Ray" Wang and Vala Afshar. The show airs live at 11:00 a.m. PT/ 2:00 p.m. ET every Friday. Brought to you by Constellation Executive Network: constellationr.com/CEN.

Feb 2, 2025 • 1h 5min
Successful AI Adoption & Disruptive Tech Ronnie S Deborah P Josh D
This week on DisrupTV, we interviewed Ronnie Sheth, CEO of Senen Group and Deborah Perry Piscione and Josh Drean, co-founders of Work3 Institute and Co-authors of Employment is Dead: How Distruptive Technologies Are Revolutionizing the Way We Work.
Ronnie emphasized the importance of business-first approaches in AI adoption, highlighting the need for a lean startup mentality and risk management. She noted that successful AI implementations focus on high-impact use cases and data quality. Deborah and Josh discussed the shift from traditional employment to a decentralized workforce enabled by blockchain and AI, emphasizing the need for new HR competencies and a focus on employability. They stressed the importance of adapting to new technologies and the evolving nature of work.
DisrupTV is a weekly podcast with hosts R "Ray" Wang and Vala Afshar. The show airs live at 11:00 a.m. PT/ 2:00 p.m. ET every Friday. Brought to you by Constellation Executive Network: constellationr.com/CEN.

Jan 24, 2025 • 59min
Humanizing The Workplace & The Ethics Of AI | Manar Morales & Christopher DiCarlo
This week on DisrupTV, we interviewed Manar Morales, Founder & CEO of Diversity & Flexibility Alliance and author of The Flexibility Paradigm: Humanizing the Workplace for Productivity, Profitability, and Possibility and Dr. Christopher DiCarlo, author of Building a God: The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and the Race to Control It.
Manar discussed the importance of workplace flexibility, emphasizing the need to shift focus from presenteeism to productivity and intentional relationship-building. She highlighted the necessity of a flexible mindset that benefits all employees, regardless of their career stage. Christopher discussed the ethical implications of AI, stressing the need for international cooperation and transparency in AI development. He warned of the potential risks and challenges posed by AI, including the need for ethical guidelines and the impact on job markets.
DisrupTV is a weekly podcast with hosts R "Ray" Wang and Vala Afshar. The show airs live at 11:00 a.m. PT/ 2:00 p.m. ET every Friday. Brought to you by Constellation Executive Network: constellationr.com/CEN.

Jan 17, 2025 • 1h 7min
What Makes A Great Leader? | Gerd Leonhard, Sandra Matz, Jon Reed
This week on DisrupTV, we interviewed Gerd Leonhard, Futurist, Public Thinker, Author of Technology vs. Humanity, and CEO of The Futures Agency, Sandra Matz, Columbia Business School professor, computational social scientist, and pioneering expert in psychological targeting and author of Mindmasters: The Data-Driven Science of Predicting and Changing Human Behavior and Jon Reed, Cofounder at Diginomica.
We discussed the evolving nature of leadership in the context of AI and AGI. Gerd emphasized the importance of a protopian approach, balancing technology with human values. Sandra highlighted the accuracy of algorithms in predicting personality traits, even surpassing spouses. The conversation also touched on the ethical implications of AI, the need for transparency, and the potential for AI to enhance human capabilities while maintaining our humanity. Jon discussed the practical applications of AI in business, stressing the importance of technical literacy and ethical considerations for business leaders.
DisrupTV is a weekly podcast with hosts R "Ray" Wang and Vala Afshar. The show airs live at 11:00 a.m. PT/ 2:00 p.m. ET every Friday. Brought to you by Constellation Executive Network: constellationr.com/CEN.

Dec 20, 2024 • 1h 13min
DisrupTV's Top 24 Books Of 2024 | Vala Afshar & R Ray Wang
This week on DisrupTV, Vala and Ray discussed our Top 24 Books of 2024. This elite list recognizes top authors focused on making an impact in the world through exceptional leadership, innovation, out-of-the-box ideas, mindset shifts and lessons learned that can be helpful in one’s professional and personal life.
DisrupTV is a weekly podcast with hosts R "Ray" Wang and Vala Afshar. The show airs live at 11:00 a.m. PT/ 2:00 p.m. ET every Friday. Brought to you by Constellation Executive Network: constellationr.com/CEN.

Dec 13, 2024 • 1h
How To Create Innovation | Stefan F Dieffenbacher
This week on DisrupTV, we interviewed Stefan F. Dieffenbacher, author of How to Create Innovation: The Ultimate Guide to Proven Strategies and Business Models to Drive Innovation and Digital Transformation.
This week we focused on innovation strategies with Stefan Dieffenbacher, author of "How to Create Innovation." Dieffenbacher emphasized the importance of differentiating between execution (Horizon 1), disruption (Horizon 2), and innovation (Horizon 3), noting that most organizations fail due to inadequate setups. He highlighted the Culture Canvas, a tool to assess and improve organizational culture. We also covered the critical role of AI in driving innovation, with examples from Salesforce and Tesla. Lastly, Ray and Vala stressed the need for business leaders to invest in innovation and align resources effectively to stay competitive in the AI era.
DisrupTV is a weekly podcast with hosts R "Ray" Wang and Vala Afshar. The show airs live at 11:00 a.m. PT/ 2:00 p.m. ET every Friday. Brought to you by Constellation Executive Network: constellationr.com/CEN.

Dec 6, 2024 • 58min
Driving The Next Big Innovation | George Conrades And Stephan Meier
This week on DisrupTV, we interviewed George Conrades, ex- CEO of Akamai Technologies, and board member at Oracle and Stephan Meier, author of The Employee Advantage: How Putting Workers First Helps Business Thrive.
Conrades emphasized intentional leadership, active listening, and kindness, sharing his experiences at IBM and Akamai. Meier highlighted the importance of employee-centricity, citing examples like Best Buy's turnaround under Hubert Joly. Both stressed the need for personalized employee experiences, leveraging AI to match skills to tasks and foster motivation. This episode underscored the evolving nature of leadership and workforce management in the age of AI and emerging technologies.
DisrupTV is a weekly podcast with hosts R "Ray" Wang and Vala Afshar. The show airs live at 11:00 a.m. PT/ 2:00 p.m. ET every Friday. Brought to you by Constellation Executive Network: constellationr.com/CEN.


